ATM 2027 runs 3–6 May at Dubai World Trade Centre. Who can attend, registration fees, the hosted-buyer rules, meetings and the metro route.
Cover image: Dubai World Trade Centre and the surrounding Dubai skyline, venue for Arabian Travel Market — photo by Imre Solt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2027 takes place from 3 to 6 May 2027 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), and only travel-industry professionals are admitted. Organised by RX (Reed Exhibitions), ATM is a four-day business-to-business travel and tourism show that its organiser calls "the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East". Exhibitors are tourism authorities, airlines, hotel groups and technology companies; visitors are buyers and trade professionals in leisure, luxury, business events and corporate travel.
The 2027 edition returns to May after a 2026 show that moved twice: RX first moved it from 4–7 May to 17–20 August, citing the safety and well-being of customers, partners and colleagues, then to 14–17 September after consulting exhibitors. The 33rd edition was held on those dates at the same venue. RX has published 2027 opening hours but, as of 25 October 2026, had not opened visitor registration.
Who exhibits and who attends ATM?
RX did not publish total attendance or exhibitor numbers for ATM 2026. Its closing release said travel buyers represented more than 115 countries and that more than 55 destination stands exhibited. Decision-makers came from markets including the UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Türkiye, South Africa, the United States and China. Floorspace for technology doubled with the debut of ATM Travel Tech, a co-located show, and more than 90 conference sessions ran across three stages.
The 2026 show also saw the launch of Visit UAE, the country's first unified national tourism brand, and Emirates signed 11 memoranda of understanding there.
How to attend ATM 2027
Trade visitors. Admission is for "professional and business visitors and exhibitors" connected to the industry. Registration is online only: there is no over-the-counter registration at the show, and badges are emailed before the event and must be printed at home. Until 2027 registration opens, the organiser's form takes expressions of interest.
Entry is free if you register before the deadline. For 2026, registration was free until 30 August, then cost US$105 including VAT from 31 August to 13 September and US$135 including VAT during the show. Fees are non-refundable, and the 2027 schedule has not been published. Because Dubai event tickets are issued through the Department of Economy and Tourism's e-ticketing service, registration collects passport details, and RX cannot accept anyone who declines that data sharing.
Is it open to the public? No. ATM is a business-to-business event with no public days, business attire is required, and no one under 18 is admitted without the organiser's prior written approval.
Hosted buyers. The ATM Hosted Buyer Programme is semi-hosted, and RX makes no contribution to flights. Applicants must be senior leisure, MICE, luxury or corporate travel professionals with direct purchasing and contracting authority, direct spend in the Middle East, and current Middle East products or a defined plan to expand there. They also need business references, intermediate English and no place on the programme in the previous three years. Accepted buyers receive four nights in an ATM partner hotel with breakfast, daily hotel-to-venue transfers, early access to the online diary and help pre-scheduling meetings. In return they must attend at least 35 pre-scheduled appointments (ten a day for three days, five on the last), arrive the day before opening, stay until the close and pay a non-refundable US$250 plus VAT fee. Applications go through an interest form; no closing date is published.
Media. Press badges are vetted and limited to journalists, broadcasters, photographers, influencers and bloggers covering travel; advertising and media-sales staff are refused. The organiser's FAQs and admissions policy describe no student route.
Networking at ATM: meetings, stages and the app
Meetings are booked through ATM Meet, the organiser's online meeting service. Every pre-registered visitor gets an account automatically and can message exhibitors and other visitors before the show. RX does not hand out buyer lists, citing data protection; exhibitors search for buyers in ATM Meet by region, company name and product instead, and the organiser advises them to complete their profiles and request meetings early. The official ATM app carries an interactive floorplan.
The 2026 conference programme ran on the Global Stage, the Future Stage inside the Tech & Innovation Zone, and the Experience Hub. Confirmed contributors included Tourism Economics, Euromonitor and ICCA; the 2027 programme has not been announced. For diaries, note that day one opens at 11:00 rather than 10:00 and the final day closes at 17:00. Attending a session means your badge is scanned and your details are shared with the session host.
Getting to Dubai World Trade Centre and where to stay
DWTC stands on Sheikh Zayed Road (Trade Centre 2) and has its own metro station. The organiser calls the metro "the easiest way to reach us": World Trade Centre station gives direct access to the venue. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) timetable lists Airport Terminal 1, Airport Terminal 3 and World Trade Centre on the same Red Line. Arrivals at Dubai International (DXB) can therefore ride to the venue without changing, on trains towards Expo 2020 or Life Pharmacy, paying with a Nol card or ticket from station machines.
Taxis can be booked on 04 208 0808, and one of the venue's two taxi drop-off points is in front of the Za'abeel Hall entrance. Visa rules depend on nationality.
The organiser's accommodation partner, HotelMap, books rooms near the venue or in the city centre. RX names IHG Hotels & Resorts as ATM's official hotel group, hosting buyer-programme delegates and media. A hotel near any Red Line station keeps the commute to one train ride.
How ATM fits the May 2027 calendar
ATM 2027 overlaps with IPW, the U.S. Travel Association's trade show, which runs 2–6 May 2027 in New Orleans with appointments from 4 to 6 May. IMEX Frankfurt follows the next week, on 11–13 May 2027. RX's WTM portfolio also includes WTM London, on 3–5 November 2026 at ExCeL London. Dates for both seasons are in our travel trade shows calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is Arabian Travel Market 2027?
ATM 2027 runs from Monday 3 May to Thursday 6 May 2027 at Dubai World Trade Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road. The organiser's published hours are 11:00–18:00 on the first day, 10:00–18:00 on the Tuesday and Wednesday, and 10:00–17:00 on the final day. The 2026 edition was held on 14–17 September 2026 after two date changes.
Is Arabian Travel Market open to the public?
No. ATM is a business-to-business event for professional and business visitors and exhibitors with a direct connection to travel and tourism. There are no public days, and no one under 18 is admitted without the organiser's prior written approval. Every attendee must register online in advance, and the organiser can ask for photo ID that matches the badge.
How much does it cost to attend Arabian Travel Market?
Registration is free for eligible trade visitors who register online before the organiser's deadline. In 2026 the fee then rose to US$105 including VAT from 31 August and US$135 including VAT during the show, and fees are non-refundable. As of 25 October 2026, RX had not published the 2027 fee schedule. Accepted hosted buyers pay a US$250 plus VAT registration fee.
Why did ATM 2026 change dates twice?
On 18 March 2026 RX moved ATM 2026 from 4–7 May to 17–20 August, saying the decision was made "to prioritise the safety and well-being of customers, partners and colleagues". On 21 May it set 14–17 September instead, "following extensive consultation with exhibitors and industry stakeholders". The venue never changed, and the show ran on the September dates.
How do I become a hosted buyer at ATM?
Fill in the interest form on the organiser's Hosted Buyer Programme page. Applicants need senior purchasing and contracting authority in leisure, MICE, luxury or corporate travel, direct spend in the Middle East and no place on the programme in the past three years. Accepted buyers get four hotel nights and daily venue transfers, but pay their own flights and must attend at least 35 appointments.
Sources
- RX / Arabian Travel Market, ATM 2026 draws global tourism community to Dubai (closing release, 2027 dates)
- RX / Arabian Travel Market, ATM 2026 rescheduled to August at the Dubai World Trade Centre
- RX / Arabian Travel Market, ATM 2026 confirms revised September dates
- Arabian Travel Market, Help and visitor FAQs
- Arabian Travel Market, Admissions policy
- Arabian Travel Market, Hosted Buyer Programme
- Arabian Travel Market, Official ATM partners
- Arabian Travel Market, Venue and travel
- Roads and Transport Authority Dubai, Dubai Metro and tram timings (PDF)
